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Drug Enforcement Administration

Foreign Administrative Support Specialist

Multiple Locations $52727 - $82938 PA GS Closes Oct 29, 2026
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Summary

For more information on eligibility requirements see: DEA Employment Eligibility Applicants must meet the required qualification requirements described below by the closing date of the announcement. If you are qualifying based on education or if there are mandatory education requirements listed below, you MUST submit a copy of your college transcripts with your application. Applicants applying for the GS-09 must meet one of the following requirements: A. Have at least one full year of specialized experience that is at least equivalent to work performed at the GS-07 grade level. Specialized experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Qualifying specialized experience must be demonstrated in ALL of the following: 1) Assisting in maintaining office supplies and property management; 2) Answering general inquiries regarding leave and pay; and 3) Assisting in performing routine tasks in support of the administration of a small, stable budget, and maintaining accounts. OR A master's or equivalent graduate degree; or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree; or A LL.B. or J.D., if related; OR For the GS-9, Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the first year (total graduate semester hours minus 18) by 18. Add the two percentages. Applicants applying for the GS-11 must meet one of the following requirements: B. Have at least one full year of specialized experience that is at least equivalent to work performed at the GS-09 grade level. Specialized experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Qualifying specialized experience must be demonstrated in ALL of the following: 1) Providing administrative support related to coordinating and providing guidance in the areas of financial management, procurement and property management, personnel management, and vehicle management; 2) Maintaining organization files and reports, and 3) Performing other general administrative support functions. OR a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree; or LL.M., if related; OR For the GS-11, Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the second year (total graduate semester hours minus 36) by 18. Add the two percentages. Additional information on the position qualification requirements are located in the Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) Qualifications Standards Handbook. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants must meet time-in-grade and time after competitive appointment requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Major Duties

As the Foreign Administrative Support Specialist your typical work assignments may include: Research, resolves, and acts as the first point of contact for staff inquiries regarding benefits, leave time, and payroll. Performs accounts reconciliations. May be required to maintain imprest account. Serves as personnel liaison representative between managers and other HR counterparts to request resolution of various personnel issues. Oversees and coordinates the Government Leased Quarters program for all Country Office staff. Monitors and tracks records on accounts payable in accordance with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Government Accountability Office (GAO), Treasury, DOJ, DEA, and DOS regulations and the related subsidiary records. Responsible for the Country Office's DEA and DOS accountability property management function, both classified and non-classified. Generates the required documents to receive or dispose of property. Obtains and manages official government vehicles, arranges for service, maintains vehicle usage records, prepares monthly reports, and coordinates the disposal of vehicles. Drafts and publishes SBU Cables related to personnel travel and movement. ASSIGNMENT INFORMATION: Length of Tour: Employees are limited to a maximum of five years of service in an overseas assignment. The initial tour of duty for this assignment is 3 (three) years. After the initial tour of duty has been completed, extensions may be granted in one-year increments up to the five-year maximum. Employees who wish to remain on an overseas assignment in excess of the five-year maximum must request a tour extension or renewal before the end of their current assignment. Employees who are approved to extend their overseas assignment beyond the five-year maximum will forfeit the right to return to an office of preference. They will be placed in an appropriate position at a DEA domestic office where a vacancy exists. At the conclusion of an overseas tour, DEA will attempt to return employees to their home location. If such a placement is not possible, employees' office of preference lists will be considered. However, employees are reminded that assignments are determined based on the needs of DEA. Bogota, Colombia Country Office Post (Hardship) Differential: 15% Post (Cost of Living) Allowance 20% Danger Pay Allowance: 20% Home Leave: Allowed after the initial 24 months incident to tour renewal. Housing Allowances: Housing paid for by U.S. Government, Bogota is a furnished post. Foreign Language: None Rest & Recuperation: 2 Relocation Incentive: No Educational Allowances**: Yes, see below Cartagena, Colombia Resident Office Post (Hardship) Differential: 15% Post (Cost of Living) Allowance 20% Danger Pay Allowance: 20% Home Leave: Allowed after the initial 24 months incident to tour renewal. Housing Allowances: Housing paid for by U.S. Government, Cartagena is a furnished post. Foreign Language: None Rest & Recuperation: 2 Relocation Incentive: No Educational Allowances**: Yes, see below *Post (cost of living) allowance, post (hardship) differential, and danger pay allowance (if applicable to the advertised post) are subject to change. Detailed post (cost of living) allowance information can be found here. Detailed post (hardship) differential information can be found here. Detailed danger pay allowance information can be found here and here. Overseas Transition Preparation: Please contact DEA Family Liaison Officers Kieran Mandato ([email protected]) or N'Dorah Z. Walker ([email protected]) for Post Reports that detail living conditions for employees and their families at post. Click here for a Prospective Post Priorities Worksheet that can help you consider what is important to you and your family in the foreign PCS decision-making process. For more information regarding the foreign PCS process, please see the PCS Foreign Assignment Relocation Handbook and the Foreign Orientation Handbook. Training Requirements: Selectees for this position must successfully complete five mandatory foreign assignment courses on DEALS: Serving Abroad for Families and Employees (SAFE); Personnel Recovery 1 (PR1); Foreign Orientation Program (FOP); Counter Threat Awareness Training (CTAT), and Promoting International Religious Freedom (PIRF). Selectees must also successfully complete Personnel Recovery Emergency Preparedness (PREP), a two-week in-person course conducted by the DEA Office of Training in Stafford, Virginia and West Virginia. Selectee's family members 18 years of age and older are also required to take CTAT and may have additional training requirements if they intend to work at an embassy abroad. More information regarding training requirements can be found here.

Required Documents

All required documents listed below, that are applicable to you, must be submitted to our automated system by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement. Resume - must be no more than two pages in length; resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. Resume should include applicants' name, email address, phone number, relevant work/volunteer experience, education and training. Include the start and end dates (from month/year to month/year), work schedule (e.g. part or full-time), the number of hours per week worked/volunteered, job title and description of duties performed. Education/Certification/Licensure when relevant or required for position. See Guidance for Applicants on 2-Page Resume and visit the USAJOBS Help Center for more information. Transcripts, if applicable and you are qualifying based on education. See the Qualification and Education sections of this announcement for more information. If selected, an official/sealed college transcript(s) will be required to verify education prior to employment. SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action): SF-50(s) must show the effective date, position title, series, grade, salary, tenure, competitive status, position occupied, full promotion potential, and name of agency. Multiple SF-50s may be needed to show all required information. Award SF-50s often do not show the required information. To verify the time in grade requirement, applicants must submit a SF-50 verifying the highest grade held for at least 52 weeks. Examples include, promotions with an effective date greater than one year, within grade increases demonstrating the highest grade held for at least 52 weeks or appointments/conversion of appointments with an effective date greater than one year. Career Transition Assistance Program documentation, if applicable. (e.g., reduction-in-force (RIF) separation notice, RIF separation SF-50 personnel action, certification of expected separation, etc.), most recent Performance Rating and more recent Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) noting current position, grade level, and duty location. Other Qualification documents (e.g. certificates, certifications, etc.), if applicable. See the Qualification section of this announcement for more information.

How to Apply

Prepare your application in USAJOBS During the application process you can review, edit, delete, and update your information. We'll automatically save your progress as you go, so you won't lose any changes. You have until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement to complete the application process. STEP 1: Select the "Apply" button and follow the instructions to register or sign into USAJOBS. STEP 2: Submit your resume. Resume must not exceed two pages. Please see the Required Documents section for specific information that should be outlined in your resume. STEP 3: Complete the online assessment questions. STEP 4: Submit all required documentation applicable to you, as listed in the Required Documents section. Alternate Application Procedures: If applying online poses an extreme hardship, you may request alternate application procedures to submit your application package. Contact the Human Resources office listed on the announcement between the business hours of 8:15 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. ET at least 2 working days prior to the closing date of this announcement. The application package for alternate application procedures must be submitted and received in the Human Resources office no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on the closing date of this announcement. Paper applications and information sent by mail will not be accepted.